STAR to set up Sarawak MA63 Fund

KUCHING, June 8: Sarawak State Reform Party (STAR) plans to raise funds in order to assemble a legal team to hold a watching brief on the Petronas oil lawsuit.

The party’s proposed legal team would also act as a supplementary team to the one formed by the Sarawak government.

STAR president Lina Soo told a press conference here today that their legal team would include Sarawak-born lawyer Robert Pei, who is currently practising in Australia. Pei would be assisting on a pro bono basis, she said.

“This alternative team of lawyers is to hold a watching brief on the Petronas lawsuit in order to defend our territorial rights and sea under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“(To do that) we plan to establish a Sarawak MA63 Fund to pay for legal opinions from an Australian expert on Constitutional Law, International Law and Federalism,” she said.

Soo added that in the event the Petronas court case proceeded, the proposed MA63 Fund would be used to bring the case to a British court, if need be.

“We want matters pertaining to MA63 to be determined by a British Court as both the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) and Territorial Sea Act 2012 (TSA) are in breach of the MA63.

“Should that materialise on a needs basis, I hope Sarawakians will come forward to contribute to the cause for the future of Sarawak’s sovereignty,” said Soo.

She believed there might be such an eventuality, and the party was preparing for it. — DayakDaily

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